Visiting Raleigh: State of Return

“It doesn’t matter how far a person goes. The place where people think of you when you’re absent is certainly a home.” – Old Sean

Post-Euro Return

Again, I’m home.  After another extended trip through Ireland, Scotland, the UK, France, Romania and Norway, I’ve landed again on US shores.

I remember reading once that astronauts develop a syndrome of universal tribesman-ship with all of humanity.  They’re so far removed and distant from boarders and territories, the distinctions between nations mentally fade.  It’s the opposite of hyper tribalism, where minor culture differences are distinct and highlighted in small groups of neighboring tribal societies.

Traveling grants a bit of this too.  The US is home.  To some extent, the totality of North America has become my home, even with the differences Mexico and Canada have with their US neighbor.  The cultures are uncommonly familiar and comforting to me, in a way that’s almost entirely subconscious.

Atlantic Hops

When I flew back from Europe, landing in Florida, I settled into an almost sleepy routine.  

I watched The Legend of Vox Machina on my laptop, browsed through a few books, chatted idly with other travelers and gave out small handfuls of M&M’s to other passengers on my airplane.  I had bought a rather bulky amount of snacks prior to flying out of spite. 

Nordic Air, which had flown me from Norway to Florida, somehow refuses to provide in-flight meals unless a person is willing to shell out an additional twelve dollars.  

Additionally, headphones for the in-flight films also costed three bucks to rent.  

I was unable to sleep and refused either charge in a gradually mounting tantrum of quiet spite.  When other travelers complained nearby, I passed out my snacks to deprive the airline of a few bucks.  

I hate price gouging.  

East Coast Rotation

I eventually caught my last connecting flight and landed in Raleigh, where my aunt collected me from the airport.  

We drove into Raleigh, where I lounged for a day or so.  I had returned home to the States primarily for my cousin’s wonderful wedding, which was taking place in a quiet, hilly retreat, two hours outside of Raleigh.  

I rendezvoused with my brother and sister, seeing them for the first time since our separations in Europe.  

Various other family members were there, a gradually growing group of people all crammed into a sizeable cabin.  

Each morning and evening, everyone had a veritable feast.  Every extended family member loaded up the table with snacks, treats, cake, doughnuts, granola bars, fruit platters and salted snacks.

As far as returns to the US go, this was a calm one.  There was very little for me to do beyond enjoying the wedding.

A Seat at a Wedding

The bride and groom were often encased in a tremendous flurry of activity, whisked off to photo ops, rehearsals, mini speeches and other levels of excitement.  

The rest of us relaxed in the cabin, attended a different ceremony or rehearsal each evening and listened to loud music.  The mist was strong each morning and the hills were dotted with penned goats and long-maned horses.  

Overall, it was a lovely ceremony.  One of the rather funny things about the world is the constant imminence of a wedding just around the corner.  After age twenty-three or so, there’s a new one scheduled once or thrice a year.

A Northern Arc

After the wedding, it was time to start heading to my new home.  I currently have no real travel plans.  In fact, I’m essentially grounded in the states until I find a new source of income.  

My prior jobs which have kept me mobile for so long have finally dried up or proven unreliable. 

Online teaching is no longer a strongly viable industry since China left the market, forbidding teaching platforms to work with foreigners.  I can still make money off of it, but the income is spotty.

My previous positions in cybersecurity need further certifications to get new jobs as the field continues to evolve.  

My content writing jobs have gotten more time consuming while also competing with a new wave of AI articles. I’m still able to generate income through this, but nothing close to what I was making a year ago.

I’m still able to draw in a little money through product and software testing and online travel itineraries, but both jobs are contract based rather than salary.  

I’m unsure what I want to do next.  So I’ve asked a very old and good friend for some time to sit and think.  I’m heading to DC.

Capital Backtrack

My aunt drove myself and my sister to Virginia, where we spent a couple of evenings enjoying the greenery.  

Then, my younger sister drove me the rest of the way to Washington DC, which will be home for the remainder of the year.

Washington DC is a grand city.  

There’s never a lack of anything to do, but I’m living somewhat outside the city limits in Virginia.  The capital is a short train ride away, but most of my days are spent working remotely from a spare room in my friend’s apartment.

In a display of irony, I’m currently in DC with my two oldest and greatest friends, whom I’ve known since early elementary school.  The three of us made a point of celebrating my birthday by drinking downtown.  

And I do mean drinking.

I don’t typically drink.  I’m not terribly good at it and my time in the Middle East broke my habit of it.  

But if you can’t drink with friends who have been around for your entire life, who can you drink with?

We visited Indian Curry shops, Asian food markets, tiny coffee and pastry shops, tiki bars, surprisingly robust Vietnamese sandwich shops, a jerk-chicken dispenser and rounded off the three days with a resounding series of old fashions in a classic pub.

Washington DC is an absolute pinnacle in terms of restaurant options.

A Last Round of DC

Following a very debilitating hangover the following day, I spent the next week revisiting Washington DC, taking special care to see some of my favorite places.  Washington DC is so layered, I always have new things to see on each arrival.

First, I made sure to enjoy my favorite bakery, known as Bread Furst.  From here, I wandered north and east until I made it to Rock Creek Park, my favorite extended walk in DC.  

Sadly, my favorite section, Soapstone Trail, is closed until 2023. Despite this, I was able to walk the majority of the hard-packed dirt paths  

A Riot of Shifting Leaves

One of the grand things about this particular visit to Washington DC is the autumn colors.

This is my first year in a very long time seeing autumn. The last time I saw leaves change dramatic colors was in 2018, while staying in Macedonia.  

By Autumn of 2019, I had moved to Hohhot, China. This put me on a vast, somewhat-chilly tundra devoid of dense forests.  For the next two years, I purposely followed tropical weather and summer climates to avoid winter COVID shutdowns.  

Now, in September and October of 2022, I’m blessed with blazingly vivid trees and leaves once again.  

I wandered through Rock Creek Park slowly, taking time to pet dogs and photograph greens, yellows, browns, crimsons, barn-reds and uncertain orange.  

I followed a trotting fox, waddled behind a family of raccoons, prodded still pools filled with watchful minnows, stalked alongside small families of deer, whistled after birds and guzzled down water.

With my time in Rock Creek eventually complete, I made another effort to walk around the DC metropolitan area, but ultimately just enjoyed restaurants and cafes before wandering home.

Sedentary Life

Back home in my temporary apartment, I spend every day hammering away on a keyboard. 

Two lovely but highly distracting kittens (both gingers) are constantly found meowing and whisking around my room.  

Right now, and for the next month or so, I have some projects to finish and jobs to pursue.  

Currently, there are books to read and a future to plan.  I’m without true goals or direction at the moment, rudderless in my own mind.  There is no rush to my mortality.

So until the next sprint,

Best regards and excellent trails,

Old Sean

Written September 22nd, 2022

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